Ukraine’s 414th Unmanned Aerial Systems Strike Brigade “Magyar’s Birds” regularly publishes videos showing FPV drones chasing Russian soldiers. The unit says such videos are intended to demoralize Russians, show the consequences of taking part in the war against Ukraine, and support the morale of Ukrainian troops.
This was reported by The Guardian.
Over the past year and a half, videos from FPV drones chasing Russian soldiers have become a separate genre on social media. Every morning, an editor with the call sign “Catman” reviews footage from the previous day and turns it into short compilations.
“My goal is to show Russians that if they mobilise in Ukraine, they will be killed, that it is a one-way ticket and death is waiting for them,” he explained.
The moment of death is not shown, while the final frame is often a close-up of the occupier’s face.
“We have a phrase: laughter kills fear. Our main task is to laugh at these enemies and show them as helpless. This boosts the morale of our forces,” the soldier said.
Most often, Russians in such videos are struck while travelling to frontline positions — on foot or by motorcycle. The unit believes that some of them are misled by their commanders about the real danger.
The brigade’s archive contains about 3,600 videos. These recordings are also used to confirm Russian losses. Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert “Magyar” Brovdi said he has no moral qualms about publishing such material, even if some Western audiences find it unacceptable.
According to “Catman,” the videos are also watched in Russia. Relatives of missing soldiers sometimes look for them in such footage and take screenshots. The soldier noted that black humour has become an important part of life during the war.
“It is important for our people to say that we are not just surviving. We need to show that we are living and hitting back hard at the enemy,” he said.
